Hanoi - This morning (7 December 2017), in commemoration of the International Day for Solidarity with the Palestinian people (29th November), the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Vietnam, the Vietnam Committe for Solidarity with the Palestinian people, Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations, and the Vietnam – Palestine Friendship Association of Hanoi co-organized a meeting, cultural exchange and film screening at the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organization, 105A Quan Thanh, Hanoi.

In 1977, the General Assembly called for the annual observance of 29 November as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. On that day, in 1947, the Assembly adopted the resolution on the partition of Palestine (resolution 181 (II)). This day has traditionally provided an opportunity for the international community to focus its attention on the fact that the Question of Palestine remained unresolved and that the Palestinian people are yet to attain our inalienable rights as defined by the General Assembly, namely, the right to self-determination, the right to national independence and sovereignty, and the right to return to our homes. On this day, each year, we also honor the resilience of the Palestinian people and honor the global solidarity with our just cause, one of the greatest solidarity movements in recent times.

This year’s observance has an added significance as 2017 marks 100 years from the Balfour Declaration of 1917 and the 50th anniversary of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in 1967.

At the meeting, Mr. Kamal Malhotra – UN Resident Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative to Vietnam, read the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's message on the International Day for Solidarity with the Palestinian People, and then the statement on the Middle East Peace Process which was released immediately after US administration formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, quoted: “From day one as Secretary General of the United Nations, I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians.Jerusalem is a final status issue that must be resolved through direct negotiations between the two parties on the basis of the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, taking into account the legitimate concerns of both the Palestinian and the Israeli sides”. “I want to make it clear: there is no alternative to the two-State solution. “

Mr. Ho Anh Dung - Chairman of Vietnam’s Committee for Solidarity with the Palestinian people, read the Message of Solidarity from H.E. Mr. Tr?n ??i Quang, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, addressed to H.E. Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations and H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, which reaffirmed “Vietnam’s consistent support to the just cause of the struggle of the Palestinian people for their fundamental rights”. “We firmly believe that, with the efforts of the Palestinian people and strong support of the international community, the struggle of the Palestinian people will gain complete victory.”

In his speech at the ceremony, Mr. Saadi Salama, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Vietnam, said: “Since the observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People last year, the Israeli Government has relentlessly pursued its settlement campaign on our land, in contravention of all international conventions and the relevant resolutions on the question of Palestine. It has persisted with its flagrant disregard for the two-State solution, resorting to delay policies and tactics and devising pretexts to evade its responsibility to end its occupation of the territory of the State of Palestine.”

He added that for Palestinians, Jerusalem is the social, political, cultural, religious and economic heart of Palestine. “The UN Security Council resolutions clearly state that Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel and that its illegal annexation of the city, as well as the measures taken to implement any illegal move, are null and void. If any country decides to contradict its international commitments and historic foreign policy by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, it is not only going to promote international anarchy and disrespect for global institutions and law, but it will also be disqualifying itself to play any role in any initiative towards achieving a just and lasting peace.”

Ambassador Saadi Salama also extended to the government and the friendly people of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam the sincere thanks of the leadership and the people of Palestine for the consistent support given to the just struggle of the Palestininan people for inalienable national rights.Also at the ceremony, the Vietnam-Palestine Friendship Association of Hanoi gave the Establishment Decision to the Branch of the Department of Arabic Language and Cultures of the University of Languages and International Studies, Hanoi National University. And a touching documentary entitled “This is Palestine” was screened afterwards.